Oil tank



' mgwsi May 31,1921 I W'M'NICHOLS OIL TANK Filed Aug. l4,-l92 2 Sheets-Swat l Inventor WATT'NLNICHOLS May 31, 1 7- W. M. NICHOLS OIL TANK Filed Aug- 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor,

W A T M. N I C H 0 L S,

. tank sections or an and advantages will be full the following descri tion an the invention will be more Patented May 19 27;. UNITED STA warm in. nrcnons, or RANGER, rnxns'.

on. rum.

npplication'flled August 14, 1925. Serial No. 50,818.'-'

My invention relates to. tanks and more particularly to oil tanks and particularly to flow tanks; and the object is to provide an improved construction for oil tanks to make the tanks stronger" and to providev tanks which can be constructed much quicker than tanks heretofore made. One of the advantages is that the tanks are provided with a central ring or frame at the upper end which adds 'great strength and eliminates the rafters heretofore used and there are means in connection with said ringwhich make the construction much more simple and easily accomplished. For this reason the wall construction is made simple and less expensive. Another advantage is that agas tank can be mounted on top of the tank without changing the construction of the oil tank. The construction is such that the expensive scaifolds heretofore necessary in erecting the tanks ma be dispensed with and instead of these sca olds, simple platforms in connection with the interior braces which are used to lock the central. ring or frame. Another advanta e is the construction which permits the use 0 a gin pole for hoisting the other thing that must be hoisted about t e tank. Other objects explained in particu arly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had. to the accompanying drawings which fofm a part of this application.

Fig. 1 is" a p'erspectiveview of the tank partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tank. on a smaller scale.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the a gas tank superposed.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectionaljview showing tank with the manner of anchoring the top ring frame tothe bottom of the tank.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one ofthe side staves or wall forming pieces. 7 Fi 6 is a' horizontal section of the tank,

showmg the central supports and frame members.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a portion of the tank, showing one of the vertical supports and its connections. v

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a section of the top. v

Fig. 9 1s a-view showin a method of connecting one of the units .0 theside wall.

-. stave or unit has a lower lockin which is integral with the unit.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The side wall of the ,tank is made up of a plurality of tiers of staves or wall forming units 1 to be hereinafter more particularly described. An interior bracing systemis provided for locking the entire tank rigidly' and is provided with a bottom 2 which is reenforced by angle bars 4 and is provided with a ring frame 3 and-the bottom and the ring. frame are rigidlybraced by the upright angular posts 6. The frame 3 is substantially U-shaped in vertical cross-sea tion, having radial flanges. This frame is provided with diametrical braces 5 and 7 which have their ends bent at right angles downwardly and bolted to the frame 3 and extended still further downwardly and bolted to the angle iron posts 6. The posts 6 are connected to the angle bars by angle brackets 8 which are bolted to the' bars 4 and to the bars 6. It is apparent that the posts 6 may be connected directly to the bottom 2 and in different ways. The entire tank is braced by the posts 6-, angle bars 4, and the ring frame 3. The lower tier of staves 1 or wall units 1 are bolted to the bottom 2 by means of an upstanding annular flange on the bottom.'2. The top units 9 are bolted to the upper tier of units land to the lower flange 10 of the ring frame 3. Suitable filling and discharge connections 11 are to be provided. The tank is rovided with a detachable ca 12 which is olted to the upper flange 13 o the ring frame 3.

.The ring frame 3 and the cap 12 are so of the gas tank. The gas tank 14: collects the gas which escapes from the oil and this as may 'be'used for heating the boilers of t e refining plant or the gas may be taken from the tank 14 for any other use.

The wall units 1 are all duplicates. Each lug 16 e lug 16 is of double thickness. A portion of the metal ofthe unit is folded upon itself -at the bottom and this folded portion is extended to form the lug 16 and the folded portion 16 extends as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 5, leavin a space 17 on the outside of the unit fort e] lug 16 of the Y next unit. The upper edge' of the unit is the next unit. A portion of the lapped member 18 and the flange 19 are cut away at 21 to make space for the In of the adjacent unit- A similar lappe L member 22. and flange 23 are formed on the vertical edge of each unit. At the opposite vertical edge a lap 24 is folded on the outside of the unit. In installing the units, the end of the unit which carries the lap-2 tlaps on the outside of the adjacent unit covcrin the end which carries the members 22 an 23. Erom the construction shown, it will be seen that each horizontal seam is made up of four thicknesses of metal with the attaching bolts running through the four thicknesses. The

' members 18, 20 and 21 are on the upper edges of each unit and the member 16 is on the lower edge of each'unit. The seams or joints formed by the vertical juncture are broken relative to each other to distribute the strength ofthe; folded portions to d1fferent points of the circumference.

The sections of the bottom are connected aslshown in Fig. 7 A lap or fold 25 is folded on the underside of a section and the adjacent section is bolted thereto through the three thicknesses of metal. A downwardly "projecting flange26 is formed to add strength to the oint. The "top of the tank is made up of umts9 which are connected in a similar manner tothe connection of the bottom sections. The lower edge of the units 9 may be lapped to form a, strengthening band 27. v One of the advantages of the improved tank is that the posts6 are utilized to form scaffolds for erecting the tanks. Cross-bars 28 are bolted to the posts 6 on which boards may. be placed to form scaffolds for erect-' ing urposes.

A r the bottom 2 is put together, the ring frame 3 is placed on the bottom and each post 6 is connected to the ring 3 by a single bolt. The ring frame 3 is then hoisted earryingthe posts 6 swinging therefrom. The tom y the brackets 8.- The ring frame 3 is connected to the posts 6 by bolts as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 7. The first two tiers of units 1 may be attached without a scaffold. The angle bars 28 may be'attached to theposts 6 at different vertical-positions so that the additional tiers of units may be erected as the erection .of the tank progresses.

osts 6 are then connected to the bot earner One. advantage of the ring frame 3 is that a ginpole 30'may be pivotally connected to the center of the frame'and the end pro -jected beyond the edge of the top. The

outer end of gin pole maybe swun to all points about the tank. The gin p0 e 30 is provided with a hook 29 on the outer end so that a block and tackle may be suspended for use in raising the units 1 to their positions.

the bolt holes by placing a washer 31 of The oil is prevented from passing through.

asbestos or other-suitable material between 7 from the lapped portions serve to prevent the turning of the bolts when thenuts are being screwed up on the outside and also hold any gaskets that may be placed under the bolt heads. The flanges which project at right angles to the topunits 9 serve as rafters to give strength to the tank.

What I claim is,

1. An .oil' tank comprising a bottom and angle bars attached thereto, a cylindrical wall attached to said bottom and consistin of a plurality of tiers superposed on eac other and each tier consisting of a plurality of units connected together by seal tight "joints, a top connected to the upper tier of units, a central ring frame attached to said top, and braces attached to the circumferential portions of said frame'and to said bottom an le, bars. i

f 2. An oil tan comprising a bottom and bracing angle bars attached thereto,a cylindrical wallattached to said bottom and consisting of a plurality of tiers superposed on each other and each tier consisting of 9, Phirality of units connected to each other by seal tight joints, a top consisting of a pluto said top and having depending flanges servingas rafters, a central ring frame having upper and lower radial flanges and the rality; of uni-ts connected to each other and lower flange attached to said top for proattac ed to said upper flange.

3. An oil tank comprising a bottom and bracing angle bars attached thereto, a cylinvidin for extensions of the tank, and a cap drical wall attached to said bottom and consisting of a plurality of tiers-superposed upon each other connected by' seal tight 'oints and each tier consisting of a plural- 1ty of units connected by seal tight joints, a top connected to the upper tier, a central ring frame having upper and lower radial flanges and having the lower flange connected to said top, dia onal braces attached to the interior of said 'rame'and provided with depending hali'ger members, a cap. attached to said upper ge, and braces attached to said depending members and to the angle barsof said bottom.

4. An oil tank comprising a bottom, a' cylindrical wall-connected thereto and consistand bottom in rigid fixed relation and-serving to support a scafi'old for building purposes in erecting the tank.

5. An oil tank comprising a bottom, a c

1indrical wall connected thereto, ang e braces attached to said bottom, a top con- I nected to said wall, acentral ring frame connected to said topto rovide for extensions of said tank, and diagonal braces attached to the interior of said ring frame and serving to brace the frame and serving for the pivotal mounting of a gin pole for erectin said wall.

' ntestimony whereof, I set myhand, this 10th day of August, 1925.

WATT M. NICHOLS. 

